The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-04
A Mother and Child Die From the Effects Of
Deadly Drug.
A Life Convict at Jsfersonvills Tells q
Strange Story.
Details Of the Recent Murder Of Addison
HarrOd By Andrew Cummins.
Two Years for Kidnaping-A Matron APP
Pointed-valuabIe Horse Injured
Breach OF Promise, Etc.:

CONVICTION, April 2S.-Word has just
been received here of the wholesale poison
ing of family named Richardson, IN the
southern part of this (Fountain) county.
The wife and one boy are dead, and two
other children are lying ct the point Of
death. The rumors are very conflicting as
to the author of the poisoning. Some &C.
cuse Perry Richardson, the husband OF
the dead woman, and others think the
woman did it herself. There is no doubt
that they were poisoned, as a post-mortem
examination showed considerable poison
in the stomach of the woman. Mr.. Rich
ardson admits that he had some arsenic,
put that he buried it some time before the
death or sickness of his family. The night
they took sick all the family, except the
man, took some sort of pills for sickness,
the woman taking three. She was the
first to die. One of the children that took
only half Of one pill will recover.
Some think il was the pills that did the
work, while others agree that while the
pills were the cause of death, they were
fixed for that purpose. Taking it alto
gether, 1t is peculiaracase and needs the
thorough investigation that is now going
on. Richardson Of course denies all knowl-
edge of the source of the terrible results,
but thinks the poison must have been in
the pills. Lynching was freely talked OF
at first, but as Richardson made no effort
the neighbors argued against such a course,
and especially where there was so much
doubt, that sort of talk has ceased. Rich
ardson is said to be relative of the Rich
ardson who was hung in this county years
ago for wife murder, which was the only
hanging that ever occurred here.
A Game of Poker Makes a Life Convict.
JEFFERsoNyILLE, April ga petition is
being gotten up among the residents of
Rush County, Ind, asking the Governor to
pardon Jerry Anderson, 3 lifetime convict
in the Jacksonville Prison. Anderson
was sent up from Rush County January 20,
1878, charged with the killing of ]. G. Kerr,
q gambler. The evidence against him was
purely circumstantial, and many thought
he was innocent. Excitement ran high at
the time. for the murder was a cold-blooded
one, and he was sent up for life. The kill
ing created great sensation, and hundreds
hocked into the city from all parts OF the
country to hear the trial. Anderson is
thirty-three years OF age, has a very prepos-
sessing appearance, and every one of the
prison officials likes him. During his
fourteen years of confinement he has never
been punished, and has always enjoyed the
confidence of the Warden. He received a
classic education, and numbered among
his schoolmates many of the men now
prominent in Indiana politics. A reporter
Ol LOUISVILLE interviewed An
dersen yesterday and publishes the result
OF his talk. When the reporter spoke to
him of the crime which he was charged
with having committed. he said in low
tone: "Well, l will tell you the story
Just as it happened. 1t may be of interest
TO the readers of your paper. In 1869 l was
about sixteen years of age, and was the
only son of an indulgent and wealthy
father. ] was wild and reckless, and among
my many vices was that of poker-playing.
1t was game of poker that caused me 10
be placed here, though am Just as limo.
cent as you are of having committed a
crime J. G. Kerr was a dashing young
gambler, and ran poker.room in Rush
vile. On the evening TO which l have
mytelf were seated around table in the
apartments Of the former engaged
in a game of draw. There was
a Jackpot, and there was $40
in il. The ante was SO, and
it required $50 to come in. at last after
many hands had been dealt, the deal fell to
Kerr. He knew all the tricks of the game
and fixed the cards. got pair of jacks,
the man next to me pair of tens, another
man four aces and Kerr four kings. Kerr
had made a mistake; he intended 10 give
the last man only three aces, but something
went wrong. The man with four aces
opened il for SO, and we all 'staid.' Every
cent of money in the crowd was in the
pot. Kerr laid down his four kings and
reached for the money. Then the man
with the four aces laid down his hand.
Seeing he was beaten, Kerr snatched the
money and ran away with it. Until 1873
we heard nothing from him. In January
of that year he turned up as peddler OF
washing machines. On the night of Janu-
airy 3, Kerr started across the little bridge
which spanns Olive Greek. He reached
about the middle when two bright cts of
flame shot out from the bushes on the
bank and Kerr fell back with bullet in
his heart. The day before l had traded
my shotgun for a pistol, and there were
other little circumstances growing out of
threats j had made in consequence of
Kerr's action over the Jackpot, which
pointed to my guilt. / did not do 1t, but 1
could not prove an alibi, and here am. /
expect to be pardoned. / have served
fourteen years for q crime / never com.
mitted, but I have learned a good trade
and would lead an honest, upright life if
/ were free"